Vacuum technology for the packaging industry
Vacuum technology for the packaging industry
Virtually everything that is packaged has been under vacuum at some point. That applies to food, pharmaceutical products, consumer goods and countless industrial products. Vacuum technology plays an essential role in packaging, handling and processing products. In the packaging industry, vacuum and blower technology is therefore not a side issue but the core of the process. DOVAC supplies the pumps, blowers, air knives and accessories for this, and contributes ideas from the design of the machine onwards.
Packing, picking up, drying: three processes, one field
In this industry, vacuum and air technology is used mainly for three processes:
- Vacuum packaging: products are packed with the air removed, optionally with nitrogen, to inhibit bacterial growth and preserve colour and quality for longer.
- Vacuum lifting and handling: boxes, sheets and products are picked up, moved and stacked with suction cups, either manually or with robots.
- Drying before packaging: washed products such as fruit and eggs are blown dry before being packed in carton or film.
Air is also used for applications around the production line, such as drying and vacuum handling of pallets.
Vacuum technology also plays an important role in fully automated packaging lines. Robots, pick-and-place systems and palletising machines use vacuum every day to move products quickly, accurately and reliably.
The pitfalls in packaging lines
The choice of the right pump, vacuum or air technology has direct consequences for the continuity, safety and cost of the process:
- Dependency and downtime: large international machine builders often supply a factory pump as standard. That comes with a factory warranty, but can make companies dependent on the manufacturer for maintenance, spare parts and replacement. If parts are not quickly available, a single defect can bring the entire production line to a halt.
- Insufficient or unnecessarily high suction: in handling, the material being picked up determines which vacuum system is needed. A system with too little suction can drop boxes, sheets or products. An oversized system does work, but consumes unnecessarily large amounts of energy.
- The wrong drying technique: compressed air is still regularly used for drying processes, while a blower with an air knife would suffice. That leads to unnecessarily high energy costs. Insufficient drying also brings risks: wet carton loses its strength, can collapse and cause damaged products or complaints.
- Unsafe or unsustainable handling: now that employees may lift a maximum of 24 kilos, manually stacking and moving heavy boxes is becoming less and less sustainable. Without suitable lifting or vacuum technology, physical strain, safety risks and dependency on manual work all increase.
Large international machine builders fit a factory pump in the machine as standard. That provides a factory warranty, but makes companies dependent for maintenance, spare parts and replacement. In addition, the choice of pump in handling applications is technically exacting: the material you pick up determines which system works. And in drying processes, unnecessarily expensive compressed air is still often used where a blower with an air knife is sufficient.
Our possibilities
Side channel blowers
Side channel blowers move large air volumes, suiting aeration, conveying and porous materials. Oil-free and low-maintenance, from compact single-stage to two-stage models, including ATEX.
Claw vacuum pumps
Claw pumps run dry and without contact, with no wear and no oil in the gas stream. Ideal where product purity matters, with low maintenance for continuous use.
Vacuum pumps
Every process places its own demands on the vacuum, from a deep ultimate vacuum to dry operation. We supply the full spectrum and select the pump that fits best.
Benefits for your business
The right vacuum or blower technology pays off on several fronts:
- Higher line speed and less product loss from wet or poorly sealed packaging
- Physically lighter and safer work for employees
- Lower energy consumption where a blower and air knife replace the compressor
- Less unplanned downtime thanks to reliable vacuum and blower technology
Besides a lower energy bill, you benefit from higher availability of your production line, lower maintenance costs and a longer service life of the installation.
Where DOVAC recommends a more energy-efficient alternative, the saving is calculated in advance. A higher purchase price is often recovered within one to one and a half years through lower power consumption.
What is at stake
A wrong choice quickly becomes visible in this industry. Wet carton loses its strength and collapses, resulting in damaged products and complaints. A lifting system with too little suction drops loads; an oversized system wastes energy. And now that employees may lift a maximum of 24 kilos, manually stacking heavy boxes is not only hard work but no longer a sustainable solution. Meanwhile, downtime caused by a pump for which no parts are available brings the whole line to a stop. That means not only lost production, but also delivery problems, higher operating costs and dissatisfied customers.
How DOVAC approaches it
For the packaging industry, DOVAC supplies a broad programme: vacuum pumps (dry running, oil-lubricated and claw pumps) in various capacities and pressure ranges, side channel blowers and Roots blowers for applications that require high flow, turbo blowers and air knives for energy-efficient drying processes, and accessories such as filters, valves and non-return valves from stock.
The nature of the material is decisive in the selection. A glass sheet is not porous: it seals a suction cup well, so a relatively small vacuum pump delivers sufficient suction. Carton and paper, on the other hand, let air through; there a side channel blower with high flow and less vacuum depth is the right choice. DOVAC makes that assessment per application, matched to the product, the temperature and the required vacuum depth.
In doing so, the focus is not only on the right technology, but also on energy consumption, maintenance, noise level and the total service life of the installation. The result is a solution that not only works well today, but also pays off in the long term.
Let us discuss your packaging process
Whether you are developing a new packaging machine, want to optimise an existing line or want to save energy on drying and handling processes: DOVAC is happy to help with technical advice, a calculation or a demonstration on site. Together we will find the solution that best suits your production process.
Why choose DOVAC?
A large stock of our own, available immediately
A product is no use if it arrives in eight weeks. That's why DOVAC keeps a large stock of its own, including filters, valves and maintenance kits.
Involved early in new machines
DOVAC is involved early; with OEMs, testing runs for months before delivery follows.
Demonstrated first, delivered second
DOVAC demonstrates and tests on site to prove the right solution in advance.
For existing installations too
For existing installations, DOVAC supplies maintenance and alternatives, starting from the application.
